Weather and Traffic

Covering the robust Austin music scene, the Live Music Capital of the World.

Austin artists share the love songs we need right now

The power of music manifests in many ways. It’s a healing balm that soothes the soul, a battle cry, a neck-breaking, booty-shaking party jam. Music transcends logic or reason, moving in the realms of emotion and instinct. At its most profound, it’s an expression of our shared humanity.

In love songs, artists stretch to make that connection, one soul reaching out to another. We, the listeners, are carried along, and as artists unravel the mysteries of the heart, we see our own lives reflected in their struggles.

As divisive rhetoric dominates the headlines, it’s helpful to remember that love is something we all share. For Valentine’s Day, we asked 10 Austin artists to suggest love songs that we need right now.

Why we need it: It’s an Irish folk ballad about a man being deported away from his wife and child for stealing corn from a British noble during the Great Famine. I think a lot of us need to be reminded right now of the ways that inhumane, disproportionately punitive policies can devastate the bonds of love between the people they impact.

Why he loves it: It’s about self-respect and honesty, about knowing what you want and being direct about asking for it. It longs for communication, and it begins the communication. It offers love but isn’t pressuring or self-humiliating: If it’s not love his lover wants, he will GO.

Why we need it: The world doesn’t need more sap; it needs understanding.